Kpop Fix

KPop Fix: Jessica – Summer Storm

Summer, in the KPop world, is usually a bright and sunny affair. We’re treated to a slew of happy-go-lucky tracks that either remind us of the fun times that can happen under the heat of the sun, or they remind us of the first time we fell in love. Or, for the lucky ones, falling in love during summer. This positivity is traditional and welcome, but sometimes it’s nice to have a song that changes the way we see summer songs, and that’s what Jessica’s comeback song “Summer Storm” is.

“Instead of saying fake hellos/Oh I’d rather be alone/I don’t wanna waste time,” she starts singing over a light rock/pop beat. The angst comes out beautifully from her vocals as she declares her summer as not one of beauty and love, but as one filled with the desire to move on.

She doesn’t have time for the boy’s antics as she tells him to keep his positive feelings to himself. “Don’t say it’s a beautiful farewell/Because it’s really selfish/Because it makes me have hope/Although it’s not for you.” Hope, in this situation, is something that will further lead her to heartbreak.

The song constantly pushes and pulls between Jessica’s desire to get over the pain, but also admit that there is a desire to go back to a moment in which things were more hopeful. This takes the listener back to the moments we’re familiar with in other summer songs, but this time it’s a sad nostalgia.

She paints the scene vividly in the chorus: “On that rainy day, you and I/The moment we didn’t say a word/Only awkward silence flowed between us/As it pushed us apart/With cold faces/Now you and I/Will we be able to go back?/I still long for even that last moment/I’m still like that/Into the falling rain/Into my tears/Bring me back to the summer storms/With you and I.”

That’s when she reveals her most deep and insecure truth.

She wants to go back to that summer day.

What’s nice about the push and pull of the song’s emotions however, is that she doesn’t let nostalgia overpower her, as she realizes that she indeed is ultimately over it, even if it makes her cry, creating a bittersweet note to the song. “Tears well up/At the fact that I’m becoming stronger now/Our memories are now/Fading.”

The full revelation comes with the last verse before the chorus takes us out of the song. “I was afraid/Of not being able to see you that summer/Because I knew it could never go back/Tears fell/I was lost on winding paths but now/I won’t regret/Cause I heard that you sleep better tonight/Than the summer storms.” She will continue to have a bittersweet feeling towards the whole situation, but she can rest at night knowing that her (ex-boyfriend?) has found peace afterward.

“Summer Storm” isn’t too much of a departure for Jessica, so it’ll sit comfortably with her many other tracks. It’s also her ten-year anniversary song, ten years in which she’s been in the industry. It is a nice departure from the slew of summer jams that focus on the fun of summer. There’s nothing wrong with having a little bit of shade now and again.